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The NFL is set to take legal action against M.I.A. over the middle finger incident at last year's Superbowl.

In a career racked with controversy, M.I.A.'s appearance at the Superbowl remains one of her most dissected decisions. Appearing alongside Madonna, the 'Paper Planes' singer took the impromptu decision to flip the bird at TV cameras.

Cue pandemonium. The event attracts an enormous global audience, with media outlets around the world reporting on M.I.A.'s middle finger gesture. One year on, the NFL have taken the decision to sue M.I.A. for $1.5 million.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, the sports organisation have alleged that the singer's gesture was "in flagrant disregard for the values that form the cornerstone of the NFL brand and the Super Bowl."

In response, M.I.A. has vowed to CrowdSource a fighting fund, with lawyer Howard King issuing a battling statement:

She is going to go public with an explanation of how ridiculous it was for the NFL and its fans to devote such furor to this incident, while ignoring the genocide occurring in her home country and several other countries, topics she frequently speaks to.

Of course, the NFL's claimed reputation for wholesomeness is hilarious, in light of the weekly felonies committed by its stars, the bounties placed by coaches on opposing players, the homophobic and racist comments uttered by its players, the complete disregard for the health of players and the premature deaths that have resulted from same, and the raping of public entities ready to sacrifice public funds to attract teams.